There's a reason why the elliptical trainer at your local gym usually has a long sign-up sheet. The machine provides an effective aerobic workout with muscle-toning side benefits. There are two types of elliptical exercise machines. The upper- and lower-body machines have handles for upper-body movement. A second type usually does not have handles, but the machine can be placed at an incline to simulate hill training.
Aerobic Exercise
Elliptical trainers engage the body's large muscles in rhythmic, continuous activity, making them an efficient form of cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure and burns calories. Elliptical exercise caloric expenditure depends on the amount of resistance used, the incline and the arm movements. The exercise calculator on the Health Status websites estimates that a 150-pound person burns 773 calories in a one-hour elliptical workout.
Low-Impact, Weight-Bearing Exercise
A July 2004 "Washington Post" article details the importance of weight-bearing activity to prevent osteoporosis. Weight-bearing activities require your bones to work against gravity to support your body weight, but despite their benefits, the most intense aerobic weight-bearing exercises, such as running, potentially cause joint stress. The elliptical machine is an exception. Your feet, according to National Osteoporosis Foundation adviser Robert Recker, support your weight on the elliptical machine, but they are not striking the ground. Impact is reduced without minimizing aerobic and bone-building benefits.
Balanced Muscle-Toning Workout
In addition to providing effective aerobic exercise, the elliptical trainer offers a balanced muscle-toning workout. It works the hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteal muscles of the lower body. Machines with incline capabilities increase hamstring and gluteal muscle activation. Elliptical machines with handles work the chest and triceps when using the forward motion and the biceps and back when using the backward or reverse motion. The ability to reverse the movement also breaks the monotony of the exercise. If the machine does not have upper body handles, and if you use it without holding on to the side bars, your core muscles will activate to stabilize your back.
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